1: Dear Friends, I recently had the pleasure of accompanying a group of retailers to Italy. I was one of about thirty across the country invited to be a guest of Esquire Magazine and the Italian Trade Commission. Their intention was to immerse us in all things Italian and hopefully in so doing our experiences would enhance our perspectives on Italian style. This book is my way of sharing the enthusiasm I experienced. It is because of all the support I have received from you that got me to this point as a retailer. Thank you so much for this opportunity, I hope you enjoy. Brandon Baker, Italian Style Aficionado

12: Fresh Parmesan cheese and prosciutto | Aging Parmesan | This round pit served as an ice box before electricity. Meat was packed with fresh snow to help preserve it longer.

13: These underground taverns provide ideal temperatures and humidity for optimal aging conditions of the prosciutto and Parmesan cheese produced here. This particular room pictured in both of these pages held the underground fireplace. Outside temps were currently in the 30's (Fahrenheit) and these underground rooms definitely needed these fireplaces to keep people warm I'm sure these fireplaces came in handy back in the day.

14: Welcome to MILANO | Pal Zileri

15: Pal Zileri

16: Duomo Forum Milan

18: Duomo di Milano

19: Da Vinci's Last Supper on Display at Cenacolo Vinciano in Milan | Went to visit Da Vinci's "Last Supper" only to find out there was a two week wait to view it.